Firearm handguards are known in the art to provide protection and comfort to the user. Certain shapes and sizes of handguards are more easily and comfortably gripped by users. Additionally, different textures and materials may be used. Handguards on or near the barrel provide the user protection against heat generated by using the firearm. However, the torque from the user's grip on the handguard can negatively impact the aim and accuracy of the firearm. One solution in the art to the problems caused by grip torque is a handguard that does not physically touch the barrel, or a free float handguard. Free float handguards traditionally attach to the firearm receiver. The handguard surrounds the barrel without being mounted on it, allowing the barrel to “float.”
Free-float handguards known in the art have disadvantages, however. Free float handguards are often used with gas operated rifles. These handguards must often be larger in circumference in order to accommodate the firearm gas tube. Current free float handguards may also become loose during use. Additionally, installing a free float handguard may require that the barrel or the barrel retaining nut is removed from the receiver. The process of attaching the barrel and barrel retaining nut to the receiver is a time intensive and laborious process because the barrel nut assembly used with such handguards usually includes apertures for the gas tube that need to be precisely aligned with the gas port on the firearm receiver. Additionally, the firearm performs best when the barrel is attached to the receiver with a certain torque tolerance. It is not uncommon for the barrel nut to be threaded to the receiver so that the gas tube aperture aligns, but the barrel is not attached within the ideal torque range. If the barrel nut is rotated further, the attachment pressure may reach the ideal torque, but the gas tube aperture might then be misaligned. Consequently, it is often necessary to insert metal shims between the barrel nut and upper receiver to create the proper spacing so that the gas tube aperture can be aligned when the attachment is within the proper torque range. This process often requires significant trial and error and contributes significantly to the time and cost required to assemble the firearm. Therefore, it is desirable that a system exists that solves the problem of free float handguards that become loose during use and that require too much time and effort to install.